The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 at 10 a.m. EST for the nominations of:

  • Benjamin Hobbs to be Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing at HUD; and
  • Ronald Kurtz to be Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at HUD.
  • In Context: Information on their backgrounds can be found in the May 13 edition.

The hearing was dominated by questions for the nominee for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Dr. Stephan Miran, with only brief mentions of housing from Senators Cortez Masto (D-NV), Moreno (R-OH), and Banks (R-IN).

  • Sen. Cortez Masto (D-NV): Called for more affordable housing in Indian Country and reducing regulatory burdens (i.e. NEPA and radon polices) tied to Indian Housing Block Grants.
  • Sen. Moreno (R-OH): Got both Hobbs and Kurtz on record praising President Trump for his executive order:
    • Hobbs: Pointed out that despite record federal spending, homelessness continues to rise, underscoring the need to address underlying issues like mental health, substance abuse, crime, and vagrancy.
    • Kurtz: Emphasized that housing availability and affordability must be tackled locally, with the federal government providing resources while reducing onerous and duplicative HUD requirements.
  • Sen. Banks (R-IN): Questioned Hobbs on concerns that housing vouchers and Section 8 discourage work and marriage. Hobbs responded that he will empower PHAs to enable self-sufficiency though time limits, work requirements, and the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.
  • Kurtz also pointed to initiatives he hopes to implement such as:
    • RESIDE Act (part of the ROAD to Housing Act);
    • Using the HOME program to repurpose blighted industrial buildings;
    • Updating HUD codes to support manufactured housing;
    • Empowering local leaders to tackle affordability challenges; and
    • Making it easier to expand the use of prefabricated homes.

What’s Next: The Committee will vote on the nominees to send them to the Senate Floor for a final confirmation vote.